Alleviation of brain hypoperfusion after preventative treatment with lomerizine in an elderly migraineur with aura.

Previous studies of brain single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) showed changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in migraineurs during prodromes or headache attacks. Little is known about how successful medication of migraine prevention can reflect rCBF in migraineurs. We highlighted alternation of brain SPECT findings in a migraineur with aura before and after prophylactic treatment with lomerizine, a calcium channel blocker.

Ultrasound assessment of the motion patterns of human flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus tendons with speckle tracking.

The purposes of our study were to correlate ultrasonographically measured and joint angle estimated excursions of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons of the hand and to estimate the relative motion of FDS and FDP while gripping cylinders of standard diameter in normal human subjects. Thirty wrists from 15 human subjects were imaged with an ultrasound scanner. Speckle tracking was used to measure the excursion of the FDS and FDP tendons.

Loss of glial fibrillary acidic protein marginally accelerates disease progression in a SOD1(H46R) transgenic mouse model of ALS.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intermediate filament protein that is highly expressed in reactive astrocytes. Increased production of GFAP is a hallmark of astrogliosis in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the physiological and pathological roles of GFAP, particularly in chronic neurodegenerative conditions, remain unclear.

Phase II trial of radiotherapy after hyperbaric oxygenation with multiagent chemotherapy (procarbazine, nimustine, and vincristine) for high-grade gliomas: long-term results.

Purpose: To analyze the long-term results of a Phase II trial of radiotherapy given immediately after hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) with multiagent chemotherapy in adults with high-grade gliomas.

Methods And Materials: Patients with histologically confirmed high-grade gliomas were administered radiotherapy in daily 2 Gy fractions for 5 consecutive days per week up to a total dose of 60 Gy. Each fraction was administered immediately after HBO, with the time interval from completion of decompression to start of irradiation being less than 15 minutes.

Internal radiotherapy with copper-64-diacetyl-bis (N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) reduces CD133+ highly tumorigenic cells and metastatic ability of mouse colon carcinoma.

Introduction: (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis (N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) is an imaging agent for positron emission tomography (PET) that targets hypoxic tumors. (64)Cu-ATSM is also reported to be a potential agent for internal radiotherapy. In a mouse colon carcinoma (Colon-26) model, we have shown that (64)Cu-ATSM preferentially localizes in intratumoral regions with a high density of CD133(+) cells, which show characteristics of cancer stem cells or cancer stem cell-like cells (collectively referred here as CSCs).

Serological profiles of urate, paraoxonase-1, ferritin and lipid in Parkinson's disease: changes linked to disease progression.

Background: Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of neuronal death. Serum levels of urate or lipid were associated with the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: We compared urate, paraoxonase-1 (PON1), iron, ferritin and lipid in sera of 119 PD patients and 120 healthy controls matched by age, sex and body mass index.

Effects of hypertonic dextrose injections in the rabbit carpal tunnel.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of different doses of hypertonic dextrose injection on the carpal tunnel subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) and median nerve in a rabbit model.

Methods: Thirty-eight New Zealand white rabbits weighing 4.0-4.

Clinicoradiological features of recurrent ischemic stroke: healthcare for poststroke patients.

Objective: Little is known about recurrent risk profile of brain infarct (BI) in Japan. The study aimed to clarify clinicoradiological features of recurrent BI patients.

Methods: 374 consecutive BI patients (231 men and 143 women) were admitted to our department between 2007 and 2008.

A Rare t(9;22;16)(q34;q11;q24) Translocation in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia for Which Imatinib Mesylate Was Effective: A Case Report.

The t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation is found in about 90% of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. About 5-10% of CML patients have complex variant translocations involving a third chromosome in addition to chromosomes 9 and 22. Herein, we describe a CML-chronic phase male with a complex translocation involving chromosome 16, t(9;22;16)(q34;q11;q24).

Unilateral Measles-Associated Retrobulbar Optic Neuritis without Encephalitis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Optic neuritis (ON) is a rare neurological complication of measles infection. Little is known about measles-associated retrobulbar ON. Here, we report a distinct patient with unilateral retrobulbar ON due to measles infection.

Finite element model of subsynovial connective tissue deformation due to tendon excursion in the human carpal tunnel.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a nerve entrapment disease, which has been extensively studied by the engineering and medical community. Although the direct cause is unknown, in vivo and in vitro medical research has shown that tendon excursion creates microtears in the subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) surrounding the tendon in the carpal tunnel. One proposed mechanism for the SSCT injury is shearing, which is believed to cause fibrosis of the SSCT.

Rheumatoid leptomeningitis: radiological alteration of cerebral hypoperfusion and subarachnoid lesions.

A 56-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis developed emotional lability and myoclonic seizure in the left arm, followed by fever and generalized convulsion. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed leptomeningeal lesions with abnormal enhancement. MRI lesions were localized predominantly in the right cerebral subarachnoid spaces.

Clinical significance of thallium-201 SPECT after postoperative radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

To assess the clinical significance of 201Tl-SPECT after postoperative radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM). Eighteen patients with macroscopically residual GM who underwent 201Tl-SPECT just after postoperative radiotherapy were analyzed. Fifteen patients (83%) received radiotherapy with a total dose of 60 Gy in conventional fractionation, and the remaining three patients were treated with 72 Gy with hyperfractionation schedules.

An epidemiological survey of feline hemoplasma infection in Japan.

Hemoplasma (hemotropic mycoplasma) often causes hemolytic anemia in infected cats, especially those with immune suppression. An updated nationwide epidemiological survey of feline hemoplasmosis was conducted in Japan. Blood samples were collected from 1,770 outdoor-accessing cats from March to October 2008.

Velocity-dependent changes in the relative motion of the subsynovial connective tissue in the human carpal tunnel.

The purpose of this study was to measure the rate-dependent changes in the relative motion of subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) and median nerve in the human carpal tunnel. Using fluoroscopy, we measured the relative motion of middle finger flexor digitorum superficialis tendon, SSCT, and median nerve in eight human cadavers during simulated active finger flexion motions at 2.0, 5.

Genetic background and gender effects on gross phenotypes in congenic lines of ALS2/alsin-deficient mice.

Loss-of-function mutations in human ALS2 account for several juvenile recessive motor neuron diseases (MNDs). To understand the molecular basis underlying motor dysfunction in ALS2-linked MNDs, several lines of Als2(-/-) mice with a mixed genetic background were thus far generated, and their phenotypes were thoroughly characterized. However, several phenotypic discrepancies among different Als2-deficient lines became evident.

Copper-64-diacetyl-bis (N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) accumulates in rich regions of CD133+ highly tumorigenic cells in mouse colon carcinoma.

Introduction: (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis (N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) is a potential imaging agent of hypoxic tumor for use with PET. Recent literature demonstrated that cancer cells expressing CD133, which is a frequently used marker for so-called cancer stem cells or cancer stem cell-like cells (collectively referred to here as CSCs), contribute to tumor's therapeutic resistance and metastasis ability. Culturing under hypoxia is also reported to enlarge the proportion of CD133(+) cells, which would indicate survival advantage of CD133(+) cells under hypoxia.

The effects of repetitive compression on nerve conduction and blood flow in the rabbit sciatic nerve.

The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of repetitive compression on nerve physiology in an experimental rabbit model. We defined 80 mmHg as a compression force which caused temporary disturbance of nerve conduction and blood flow with a brief compression. The following compressions were applied for 30 minutes to rabbit sciatic nerves: continuous compression, low frequency release compression (1 second of release time every 30 seconds) and high frequency release compression (1 second of release time every 10 seconds).

A comparative study of A1 pulley compliance.

Background: Trigger finger is most common in the ring finger, but the reason for this is not known. We hypothesized that the compliance of the A1 pulley might be one of the factors responsible for this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare the compliance of the normal A1 pulley of the thumb, index, middle, ring and little fingers using human cadavers.

Median nerve deformation and displacement in the carpal tunnel during index finger and thumb motion.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the deformation and displacement of the normal median nerve in the carpal tunnel during index finger and thumb motion, using ultrasound. Thirty wrists from 15 asymptomatic volunteers were evaluated. Cross-sectional images during motion from full extension to flexion of the index finger and thumb were recorded.

Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with a novel G85S mutation of superoxide dismutase 1 gene: clinical features of lower motor neuron disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease characterized by upper and lower motor neuron damage. Mutations of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene (SOD1) account for 20% of familial ALS (FALS). We report a unique clinicogenotype of a Japanese family with a novel SOD 1 mutation.